This project is all about caring
PINESLOPES – The Care Project based at the Pearls of Fourways Shopping Centre is continuing to help and support community members in a number of ways.
Almost exactly a year ago, the Fourways Review first wrote about the Care Project initiative and its attempts to care for the community. After a year, the project has expanded to help even more people.
The Care Project initiative was started by Pastor JJ Zondi of the Jubilee Family Church in Pineslopes and is based at the church grounds at the Pearls of Fourways Shopping Centre. Registered with the Department of Social Development for community development, it is a community initiative which attempts to address social ills in society, particularly those which affect the youth and has expanded its project from 2018, as mentioned in the article Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: This project shows care in more ways than one published Week ending 14 September 2018.
“We still distribute secondhand clothes to the needy [as the Fourways Review has previously reported], but we do other things too,” explained Khetsa Dlamini, the co-coordinator of the project. “Every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 11am we host a soup kitchen [at the church at Pearls of Fourways] where we feed the homeless.
“We also distribute food parcels to about 10 families on a weekly basis.”
Volunteers with the Care Project have started giving tutorials to Grade 7 learners in the area every Saturday in maths and English, as well as teaching them creative arts such as singing, dancing and social skills such as teamwork. To help the youth, the organisation has adopted two schools in the area (Witkoppen Primary School on William Nicol Drive and the Leap 4 School in Diepsloot) where the host weekly assemblies teaching life skills.
“We also help with the support groups at Witkoppen Clinic, and teach skills development to many people and also sports. I teach tennis, table tennis, volleyball and soccer to children in the area and also hold a goalkeeper workshop for them to learn.”
Dlamini added that it is thanks to a number of people and businesses in the community that the Care Project can continue their work. SPAR in Fourways Gardens, as well as Pick ‘n Pay Douglasdale, provide food for the soup kitchen and food packs, and Fournos Bakery in Fourways also gives donations of bread. He explained that more donations are always welcome as they can help volunteers make a difference.
“People are coming to us more often, especially for skills development. As such, we’re always looking for donations of food, clothing, cash and tutors are welcome to come help the children learn.
“I’ve seen our work make such a difference, especially skills development. We had a CV writing course [recently] to help people get jobs.
To contact the Care Project and get involved, please contact director Joseph (JJ) Zondi on 083 244 3342; 081 557 0835 or coordinator Khetsa (Coach CK) Dlamini on 083 657 8723.
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